Counseling part 2

 

Now it was my turn to pay a visit inside the private office of Dr. McGaw. 

“Savannah Plumb Cheesman, right?”

“Yes.”

“Daughter of Nathan Plumb the composer and Sandra Bellingham Plumb the former orchestra conductor.”

I nodded.  How did he know who my parents were?  They couldn’t have been that famous – were they?

“I think I’ll cut right to the chase.  I have spoken at length with your daughter – and I have to tell you – she is very – I can’t say she’s angry, because anger is not the emotion I’m looking for here – but she’s quite frustrated with you.”

“I don’t see why.  I give that girl – and all my kids – I give them everything.”

“Except yourself.”

“Are you kidding me?  I don’t come home from work until three in the morning.  The kids are in bed by then.”

“What kind of work do you do, Savannah?”

“I’m a paranormal expert.  Right now I go around town collecting spirits and detecting paranormal activity.”

“Your daughter tells me you’re also into archaeology and academic work.”

“That’s my profession, primarily.”

“Sit down, Savannah.”  He made the request with a quiet authority, like my dad.  He never rose his voice.

“Tell me this truthfully, Savannah.  Has your job interfered with your ability to be a good parent?”

I took a deep breath.  “Well, I haven’t spent as much time with my children as I would have liked due to my career, if that’s what you mean.”

“Would you consider yourself a workaholic, Savannah?”

“Uh – I, uh, happen to enjoy my work, if that’s what you’re saying.”

“Do you bring your work home?”

“Sometimes.”

“Your daughter tells me that they don’t see you for days at a time. Sometimes weeks, all because of your job.”

“My career requires me to travel a lot.”

“And you enjoy traveling.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Do you enjoy traveling because it takes you away from your children for long stretches at a time?”

“I like traveling because it allows me to learn things about different cultures.”

Dr. McGaw seemed to pivot to another strategy.  “Savannah, you have the two boys at Fort Starch boot camp right now, ordered there by a judge because of bad behavior.”

I nodded.

“Your youngest daughter, the little one, is already skipping school and has disciplinary problems.”

I nodded again.

“The teenage daughter, the one who wrote the letter, is basically begging you to spend more time with them.”

I let out a deep sigh.

“And you don’t think this is a problem.”

“Oh, I know this is a problem.  That’s why I’m here.”